Friday, August 11, 2017

FSB Demands Detailed Personal Information on Russians Using Social Networks

Paul
Goble

Staunton, August 11 – In its effort
to gain control over social networks, an effort that is likely to fall short
given various workarounds available to Internet savvy users, Russia’s FSB is
demanding that by next year, instant messenger services and social networks
provide it with the kind of personal data that most people prefer to keep
secret to avoid identity theft.

Such requirements are intended to send a chill
through Russian social networks.And
they will certainly discourage some from making use of these networks lest they
fall victim to the powers that be. But more than that they will underscore the
increasingly Orwellian nature of the Russian state under Vladimir Putin.

The immediately interesting question is whether
those in other countries will complain as much about this as they have about
NSA’s far less invasive procedures.